Surgical head clamp

ABSTRACT

A surgical head clamp including two L-shaped main sections in which rack teeth on a first arm of one section are engaged by a pawl carried by a first arm of the other section. The main sections are arranged with the first arms thereof in sliding relation. Opposed head engaging means are disposed on second arms of the main sections. A single head engaging means is mounted on one of the second arms. The head engaging means on the other second arm includes a pair of pins mounted at opposite ends of an arcuate bar. The arcuate bar is slidably mounted on said other second arm.

United States Patent 1191 Kees, Jr. et a1.

SURGICAL HEAD CLAMP Inventors: George Kees, Jr., Alexandria, Ky.;

Horst R. Hickmann, Anderson Twp., Hamilton City, Ohio Kees Surgical Specialty Company, Cincinnati, Ohio Filed: Dec. 8, 1972 Appl. No.: 313,333

Assignee:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1866 Briggs .1 269/171 10/1902 Jensen 403/82 11/1919 Gilcrease. 403/105 1l/1953 Schnee..... 24/263 F] X 12/1960 Boetcker e a. .1 269/328 Sept. 17, 1974 Primary ExaminerChanning L. Pace Attorney, Agent, or Firm.1ames W. Pearce; Roy F. Schaeperklaus [57] ABSTRACT A surgical head clamp including two L-shaped main sections in which rack teeth on a first arm of one section are engaged by a pawl carried by a first arm of the other section. The main sections are arranged with the first arms thereof in sliding relation. Opposed head engaging means are disposed on second arms of the main sections. A single head engaging means is mounted on one of the second arms. The head engaging means on the other second arm includes a pair of pins mounted at opposite ends of an arcuate bar. The

arcuate bar is slidably mounted on said other second arm.

5 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PAIEmEnsEPmw 3.81%.861

SHEET 1 OF 3 SURGICAL HEAD CLAMP This invention relates to a surgical clamp. More particularly, this invention relates to a head holding clamp for use in surgical operations.

An object of this invention is to provide a head holding clamp which firmly holds a head and which can rapidly be closed on the head to support the head.

A further object of this invention is to provide a head holding clamp which adjusts itself for variations in head shape and in positioning on the head.

Briefly, this invention provides a surgical head clamp including two sections. One section carries a pair of head engaging pins. The second section can carry a single pin. The sections are connected by a ratchet and pawl arrangement which permits rapid closure movement to bring the pins rapidly into contact with sides of the head. The pair of pins is mounted on a sliding arcuate bar which is slidably mounted on the first section and movable to adjust for irregulatities of the head and to insure proper direction of the pair of pins. The outer pin is carried by a threaded carrier which is threaded to the second section and permits fine adjustment of the positioning of the pins. The carrir can include a spring which urges the pin carried thereby toward the head to provide resilient urging of the pins. The force on the spring can be varied to adjust the pressure of the clamp.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a surgical head clamp constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, a head being shown in double-dot-dash lines in association therewith, one section thereof being shown in retracted position in dashed lines;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the surgical head clamp shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another end elevational view of the surgical clamp shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 1; j I

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken on the line 6-6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view in section taken on the line 7-7 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a view in side elevation of the surgical head clamp;

FIG. 9 is a view in section taken on the line 9-9 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pawl member which is a part of the surgical head clamp;

FIG. 1 1 is a view in section taken on the same line as FIG. 4 but showing a pin carrier in operating position;

FIG. 12 is a view in section taken on the line 12-12 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 13 is a view in elevation taken in the direction of the arrows 13-13 in FIG. 1.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. 1 and 8 is shown a surgical head clamp 15 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention which includes main sections 16 and 17. On

sides of the main section 17 are disposed clamping bosses 18 and 19 to either of which a support or mount 21 (FIG. 8) can be attached to support the clamp 15. A thumb screw 22 can be received in a threaded socket 23 (FIG. 9) in one of the bosses to attach the main section 17 to the support 21.

The main section 16 is generally L-shaped and includes a first arm 24 (FIG. 1) having an interiorly threaded boss 26 at one end thereof and a second arm 25. A pin carrier 27 is threaded in the boss 26. The pin carrier 27 is hollow (as shown in FIG. 4), and a plunger 28 is mounted for movement to the right and left inside the pin carrier 27. A compression spring 29 surrounds a shank 30 of the plunger 28 and bears on a shoulder 31 of the plunger 28 and on a washer 32 which engages an interior flange or shoulder 33 of the pin carrier 27. A C-shaped retainer ring 34 mounted in an annular slot 36 in the shank 30 limits movement of the plunger 28 to the right as shown in FIGS. 4 and 11. Graduations 37 on the shank 30 are exposed when the plunger is moved to the left inside the carrier against the pressure of the spring 29 as shown in FIG. 11. A pin member 39 is mounted on the plunger 28 as shown in FIG. 4. Shoulders 41 and 42 on the pin member 39 limit penetration thereof into a head 43 (FIGS. 1 and 11). An 0- ring seal 44 (FIG. 4) mounted on the plunger 28 and an O-ring seal 46 mounted adjacent the shoulder 33 form seals between the plunger 28 and the pin carrier 27 surrounding the spring 29.

The main section 17 is also of generally L-shape as shown in FIG. 1 and includes a first arm 48 and a second arm 49. The arm 25 of the section 16 carries rack teeth 51 (FIGS. 1 and 7). The arm 25 is slidably and telescopically received inside an elongated opening 52 in the first arm 48 of the section 17. A pawl 53 is slidably mounted in an opening 54 in the arm 48 for movement transversely of the direction of movement of the arm 25. Teeth 55 (FIGS. 7 and 10) on the pawl 53 can engage the rack teeth 51 to hold the arms 25 and 48 against movement in a direction to cause separation of the arms 24 and 49 (FIG. 1). Leaf springs 56 and 57 (FIG. 7) attached to the arm 48 in a chamber 481 therein and received in slots 58 and 59 (FIG. 10) in the pawl 53 urge the pawl to the latched position shown in FIG. 7. However the pawl 53 can be withdrawn downward as shown in FIG. 7 to release the teeth permitting movement of the arms 25 and 49 away from each other. The rack teeth are constructed to restrain movement of the main sections away from each other but to permit movement toward each other.

The second arm 49 of the main section 17 supports an arcuate bar 62 for sliding movement as shown in FIG. 6. The arcuate bar 62 is received in a slot 63 (FIGS. 5 and 12) in the arm 49. Guide pins 64, 66 and 67 are mounted in slots 641 (FIG. 5), 661 (FIG. 12) and 671 (FIG. 6), respectively, in the arm 49 and are held therein by a plate 69 (FIG. 1) attached to the arm 49 by fasteners 71. The guide pin 64 (FIG. 5) is provided with a slot 72, as shown in FIG. 5, in which the arcuate bar 62 is slidably received. The other guide pins are provided with similar slots in which the arcuate bar 62 is slidably received. The guide pins 64, 66 and 67 can be formed of the plastic resin which is commonly called Nylon or other suitable bearing material. The arcuate bar 62 can slide while supported by the guide pins as between the full line position of FIG. 6 and the position indicated in dashed lines at 62A. Head engaging pin members 73 and 74 are mounted adjacent opposite ends of the arcuate bar 62 and are directed toward the pin member 39. Stop bar portions 76 and 77 (FIGS. 6 and 13) of the arm 49 limit the sliding of the arcuate bar 62. The pin members 73 and 74 can be similar in construction to the pin member 39 already described.

When the surgical head clamp 15 is to be used, the section 16 is withdrawn as to the position where the arm 24 is shown at 24A in FIG. 1 in dashed lines as the clamp is brought into position with the pin members 39, 73 and 74 opposite the head 43. The sections 1-6 and 17 are then telescopically moved together in a rapid movement to bring the pin members to the sides of the head. Then, the pin carrier 27 is turned to advance the pin member 39 and cause all the pin members to advance to the depth desired. The graduations 37 (FIG. 11) on the shank 30 of the plunger 28 (FIG. 4) indicate the pressure applied to the pin members. The arcuate bar 62 (FIG. 1) can slide back and forth as shown in FIG. 1 to adjust for irregularities of the head and for the position of the pin members on the head.

The surgical head clamp structure illustrated in the drawings and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A surgical head clamp which comprises a first L- shaped main section and a second L-shaped main section, rack teeth on a first arm of the first main section, a pawl carried by a first arm of the second main section, the pawl being engageable with the rack teeth, opposed head engaging means on second arms of the main sections, means for mounting the main sections with the first arms thereof in sliding relation, means for resiliently urging the pawl into engagement with the rack teeth, the teeth restraining movement of the main sections in a direction to separate the second arms and permitting movement of the main sections in a direction to cause approach of the second arms toward each other, means for advancing the head engaging means on one of the second arms when the sections have been advanced to bring the head engaging means into engagement with a head to increase the pressure of the head engaging means on the head and a pair of spaced head engaging pins carried by the head engaging means of the other of said second arms, the means for advancing the head engaging means on said one of the second arms including a threaded pin carrier supporting said last mentioned head engaging means and means on the associated second arm in threaded engagement therewith, the head engaging means on said one of the second arms being directed substantially opposite to and between the head engaging pins of the other of said second arms.

2. A surgical head clamp as in claim 1 wherein the last mentioned head engaging means is mounted on a plunger slidably carried by the pin carrier, and there is resilient means mounted on the pin carrier and resiliently urging the plunger in a direction to resiliently urge the associated head supporting means toward the other of the second arms.

3. A surgical head clamp as in claim 1 wherein the head engaging means on one of the second arms includes an arcuate bar, head engaging pins mounted adjacent opposite ends of the arcuate bar, and means on said one of the second arms supporting the arcuate bar for sliding movement thereon.

4. A surgical head clamp as in claim 3 wherein the means for supporting the arcuate bar for sliding movement includes a pair of bearing pins mounted on said one of the second arms and engaging one face of the arcuate bar and a third bearing pin mounted on said one of the second arms and engaging the opposed side of the arcuate bar.

5. A surgical head clamp as in claim 4 in which each of the bearing pins is provided with a slot in which the arcuate bar is received. 

1. A surgical head clamp which comprises a first L-shaped main section and a second L-shaped main section, rack teeth on a first arm of the first main section, a pawl carried by a first arm of the second main section, the pawl being engageable with the rack teeth, opposed head engaging means on second arms of the main sections, means for mounting the main sections with the first arms thereof in sliding relation, means for resiliently urging the pawl into engagement with the rack teeth, the teeth restraining movement of the main sections in a direction to separate the second arms and permitting movement of the main sections in a direction to cause approach of the second arms toward each other, means for advancing the head engaging means on one of the second arms when the sections have been advanced to bring the head engaging means into engagement with a head to increase the pressure of the head engaging means on the head and a pair of spaced head engaging pins carried by the head engaging means of the other of said second arms, the means for advancing the head engaging means on said one of the second arms including a threaded pin carrier supporting said last mentioned head engaging means and means on the associated second arm in threaded engagement therewith, the head engaging means on said one of the second arms being directed substantially opposite to and between the head engaging pins of the other of said second arms.
 2. A surgical head clamp as in claim 1 wherein the last mentioned head engaging means is mounted on a plunger slidably carried by the pin carrier, and there is resilient means mounted on the pin carrier and resiliently urging the plunger in a direction to resiliently urge the associated head supporting means toward the other of the second arms.
 3. A surgical head clamp as in claim 1 wherein the head engaging means on one of the second arms includes an arcuate bar, head engaging pins mounted adjacent opposite ends of the arcuate bar, and means on said one of the second arms supporting the arcuate bar for sliding movement thereon.
 4. A surgical head clamp as in claim 3 wherein the means for supporting the arcuate bar for sliding movement includes a pair of bearing pins mounted on said one of the second arms and engaging one face of the arcuate bar and a third bearing pin mounted on said one of the second arms and engaging the opposed side of the arcuate bar.
 5. A surgical head clamp as in claim 4 in which each of the bearing pins is proVided with a slot in which the arcuate bar is received. 